***Live Updates*** 2020: Dems Debate in Miami

The 2020 presidential blbate season kicks off on Wednesday evening in Miami, Florida, as ten Democrats will take the stage with many needing the debates to stay relevant. To qualify for the first round of debates, Democrats needed to get 1% support in three sanctioned polls or get 65,000 unique donors.

Lester Holt, Chuck Todd, Savannah Guthrie, Jose Diaz Balart, and Rachel Maddow will be the moderators for the NBC debate, and Breitbart News’ Joel Pollak is on the ground at the debate site.

The first round of debates will be like training camp in sports—they will matter most to Democrats who must avoid being cut while frontrunners will only have to avoid season-ending injuries. To qualify for the next round of debates, Democrats will need to get 2% support in three sanctioned polls and get 130,000 unique donors.

12:02 PM — Castro, trying to KO Beto, again rips him for “not doing his homework” on immigration issues during a CNN interview. Beto may not be able to wing this for much longer. And he’s still going for the shiv:

CASTRO: "I do find it somewhat ironic that a Senator from Massachusetts and a Senator from New Jersey and a Congressman from Ohio have a better understanding of immigration law than Congressman O'Rourke" #DemDebate

.@NBCNews and @MSNBC should be ashamed of themselves for having such a horrible technical breakdown in the middle of the debate. Truly unprofessional and only worthy of a FAKE NEWS Organization, which they are!

11:17 PM: Matthews praises de Blasio for punching above his weight tonight and speaking about the dangers of nation building and intervening all around the world. Matthews asks whey Biden and Kerry supported “stupid wars.” De Blasio says Democrats are afraid to be Democrats and progressives and this party is not the party of war. Biden/Buttigieg lucky they did not share the stage with de Blasio tonight.

11:15 PM: Castro’s attempt to KO Beto while he is fading:

I would repeal Section 1325 of the Immigration and Nationality Act — the only way to ensure that another administration like Trump's could not separate little children from their mothers. They use that law to justify their cruel policy of family separation. It must end. pic.twitter.com/bl9NcdjWsK

Delaney: running to rebuild infrastrucutre, fix health care, invest in communities that have been left behidn… he says he doesn’t want to be your president to be your preisdent.. he wants to be a president who does the job.

De Blasio: He says Democrats must fight for working Americans and says he has seen the face of poverty and then instituted a $15/hour minimum wage. He talks about pre-K programs and univerasl health care.

Inslee: Wants to look grandkid in eye and said he did everything humanely possible to solve the climate crisis, which he says should be the top priority of every candidate.

Ryan — Nothing worse than not being heard–he speaks about the forgotten Americans he represents and mentions there are tent cities in California and plenty of Americans facing economic distress. He says Democrats need to play some offense to solve these issues.

Castro — He says in Spanish that his name is Julian Castro and he is running for president. Tells the backstory of his grandmother and says he wants to say “Adios” to Trump in 2021.

Doesn’t have a political machine and doesn’t come from money. She says she doesn’t make false promises and will govern with integrity.

Booker– He talks the discrimination his family faced and the housing/civil rights testers who helped his family move into a white neighborhood. Speaks about common purpose and says the election needs to not only be a referendum on Trump but a referendum on us.

Beto mentions his daughter and says he is running for children and to bring everyone into the political system.

Warren says she never would have dreamed she would have been a candidate for president. Says she wanted to be a teacher growing up and vows to fight for working people instead of people at the top.

10:40 PM: Todd asks every candidate what is the greatest geopolitical threat.

10:35 PM: Holt asks a question from a viewer about whether United States has a responsibility to intervene when there are genocides, and O’Rourke says America has that responsibility but needs to be undertaken with allies, partners, and friends.

.@LesterHoltNBC asks a #DemDebate question submitted by a voter: In the case of genocide or crimes against humanity, does the U.S. have a responsibility to intervene, even when atrocities do not affect American core interests? pic.twitter.com/ELt0y7Lors

Tulsi says we have to bring troops home from Afghanistan and says Ryan’s answer about needing to stay engaged and not “withdrawing from the world” is absolutely the wrong answer. She tells Ryan that the Taliban, and not al Qaeda, attacked America on 9/11 and that is why she joined the military.

10:33 PM: Castro says Democrats need to recognize racial justice, and he name checks numerous people of color who have been killed by police officers.

10:32 PM: After Gabbard talks about growing up in a household with conservative views and her work for the LGBT community, Booker, after having spoken earlier about criminal justice reform and taking credit for the First Step Act, implies it is not enough and talks about lynching and the trans community for African Americans. Maddow says Democrats have counted on African Americans and Latinos to win elections, and she asks Klobuchar what has she done for those communities. Klobuchar cites economic issues while she has been in the Senate. Klobuchar talks about mortality rates for African American mothers and the pay gap for women of color.

Booker on transgender violence: "We do not talk enough about trans Americans, especially African American trans Americans and the incredibly high rates of murder right now" #DemDebatepic.twitter.com/Bdh0cEgZrI

10:30 PM: Todd asks Democrats how they would combat McConnell to get their bills passed if Republican still control the Senate. Warren says putting pressure on from the White House. Delaney talks about bipartisanship and speaks about “real solutions” and not “impossible promises.” Inslee is asked whether his climate change plan will save Miami, and he says it does. But he strangely deviates from his top topic. Ryan stresses the need for the party to represent forgotten Americans and not be a coastal, elite, Ivy League party.

10:15 PM: Maddow asks her pal Booker about Supreme Court justices. Booker says if you need a license to drive a car, you should get a license to own guns. He says Democrats will get 50 votes in the Senate and Democrats need to campaign in places like South Carolina and Iowa. De Blasio is asked about the Supreme Court and he, too, wants to talk about guns. He says what sets him apart is that he has raised a black son in America and he has had to have conversations with him about protecting himself re: too many tragedies between black men and police officers.

10:09 PM: Booker talks about people dying from gun violence in his neighborhood, rips corporations and those who call for “thoughts and prayers.”

Castro says the worst thing is knowing that his child may be worried about what could happen in school. He says he believes Democrats will control all three branches of government in 2021 and praises the Parkland and Moms Demand gun-control activists. He says “common-sense gun reform” will get done.

Ryan says we need to play offense, calls for mental health counselors in every school because many shooters have been bullied.

Todd asks O’Rourke what he says to voters who think Democrats will take their guns away. O’Rourke talks about supporting assault weapon bans and red-flag laws.

10:06 PM: NBC probably lost a lot of viewers because of the snafu. Warren is now answering Todd’s question about gun control and saying the toughest question she has gotten is from a kid who asked her how she is going to keep children safe. She says gun violence is a national health emergency and calls for doubling down on research in addition to banning “weapons of war.” She won’t answer if the federal government should go out and get guns. Warren says guns in the hands of a collector is different than guns that are turned over quickly.

10 PM: Everyone’s microphones are now on after NBC returns from commercial break. Chuck “Ross Porter” Todd sets up gun-control questions. He asks if there is a role for the federal government to get the guns off the streets. More technical difficulties. NBC has to go to a commercial break, and it deprives some of these candidates on the verge of being cut critical air time.

9:40 PM: De Blasio jumps in and says politicians are not being honest about the division that has been fomented. He says big corporations, not immigrants, are responsible for depressed wages. He doesn’t mention a lot of big corporations want cheap labor and illegal immigrants.

The #DemDebate turns to the topic of immigration. @jdbalart asks the candidates for their immigration plans, saying that "fathers and mothers and children are dying of trying to enter the United States of America." pic.twitter.com/Y5rz9D3FqT

Diaz Balart now asks O’Rourke in Spanish what he would do on day one in the White House. He says he would not turn away those seeking asylum at the border and would spare no expense to reunite families. Castro goes after O’Rourke on immigration, perhaps trying to become the dominant Texan in the race, on Section 13.25 so families are not separated.

9:35 PM: Back from commercial break and Diaz Balart speechifies on immigration. He asks Castro what he would do on immigration and tees up Castro to talk about his immigration plan.

Castro says the images of the dead bodies at the border are “heartbreaking” and “should piss us all off.” He says he would sign executive orders to get rid of the metering policies and accuses the Trump administration of playing games with people seeking asylum. He says he would follow that up in the first 100 days with an immigration plan that gives a pathway to citizenships to illegal immigrants who have not committed crimes + a Marshall Plan for Central America.

Booker now also busts out Spanish and says on day one, he will make sure he will end the ICE policies that are violating human rights. He says he will reinstate DACA/TPS. Booker says we need to make major investments in the Northern Triangle countries and “not surrender our values” and think we will get border securities.

9:30 PM: Castro says he believes in “reproductive justice” and now speaks about people in the “trans community” exercising the “right to choose” even if they are poor. He says he would appoint judges that would respect Roe.

9:22 PM: Warren says she’s “with Bernie” on Medicare for all. She says she’s spent her whole life studying why families go break and the top reason is because of health care.

Beto, when asked about yet another flip flop on the issue, says his goal is to ensure that everyone has health care. He says he would not replace private insurance.

De Blasio interjects and says private insurance is not working for too many Americans and calls on O’Rourke to start by acknowledging that private insurance is not working for too many people.

Gabbard chimes in and says she is for Medicare for all.

Booker says health care is also an education and retirement issue. He says health care is a human right and an American right. He says too many people are “profiteering off of the pain” in America.

Klobuchar brings the debate back to the public option and calls out Inslee after he says he is the only candidate on the state that has “advance the law” on abortion rights.

Warren says the right to abortion needs to be “federal law.”

"I think there are three women up here who have fought pretty hard for a woman's right to choose." – @amyklobuchar responds to @JayInslee's claim that he's the only candidate on stage that has "advanced the law" on a woman's right to choose. #demdebate

9:20 PM: Holt shifts debate to health care. He asks who would abolish health care in favor of a government-run plan. Warren and de Blasio raise hands.

Klobuchar does not raise her hand and Holt asks her why she wants to keep private insurers. She pivots to pharmaceuticals and criticizes Trump for not getting drug prices down while giving giveaways to Big Pharma.
“All foam and no beer,” she says of Trump.

9:15 PM: De Blasio asked about income inequality and he claims he has addressed income inequality by raising wages and a variety of programs. De Blasio says Democrats are supposed to be a “party for working people,” and that means free college for young people, a 70% tax rate, and breaking up corporations. He says the party has to be bold and aggressive. He says there is plenty of money in this country and “it’s just in the wrong hands. And Democrats need to fix that.”

Delaney is asked if he agrees and answers that everyone needs a living wage. He says he has called for a doubling of the Earned Income Tax Credit. He says he is a different because he has been a businessman.

Inslee says plans are great but Democrats need to stand up for unions and “reinvigorate” collective bargaining. Interesting play for Inslee to go for the union vote. Inslee says wind turbines cause “jobs” instead of “cancer” and calls out Trump.

Ryan says you can promise, as Trump did, that manufacturing jobs can come back. But he criticizes GM for moving the new car that they are going to produce to Mexico. He talks about family members who have been laid off and had to unbolt machinery and ship it to China.

9:14 PM: Gabbard gets the same questions and gives an answer about being anti-war.

9:12 PM: Castro given a softball about the pay gap. He talks about his mom’s struggles and calls for an Equal Rights Amendment.

9:10 PM: Warren is asked if she is picking winners and losers and says “courage” is missing in Washington because the monopolies are making campaign contributions and funding super pacs. Her second answer is better and less robotic/scripted than her first.

9:08 PM: Booker speaks about checking “corporate consolidation” and making the free market work. Booker says he lives in a low-income neighborhood and the economic stats do not apply to them. Booker says he will single out companies like Halliburton and Amazon after finally getting pressed for answers. He says he will appoint judges who will enforce anti-trust laws.

9:06 PM: Guthrie asks Beto about what his top individual rate would be. He doesn’t directly answer the question and starts speaking Spanish and speaks about how the economy is not working for anybody. Beto again asked if he would support a 70% top marginal rate and Beto, as always, punts.

9:05 PM: Klobuchar is asked of Democrats are offering false hopes. She says she is concerned about footing the bill for college for rich kids. She talks about her plan that focuses on community colleges.

9:00 PM: The debate is about to get started. Warren, as expected, gets the first question and is at the center of the stage. Guthrie asks if her plans would be risky for the economy. Warren goes into a stump speech about how the economy is doing great for those at the top and for African Americans and the “Latinx” community. She talks about the need for “structural change” in government.

8:50 PM: DNC Chair Perez also name checks the daughter (Valeria) who drowned at the U.S.-Mexico border along with her father. Democrats politicizing the tragic deaths at the border even though they never cared no matter how many times over the years Breitbart News reported on deaths at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Democratic chairman Tom Perez speaking to the crowd before the debate: "We believe that children should never be separated from their parents. We believe in the dignity of all people including asylum seekers." @ABC7

.⁦@JoeBiden⁩ isn’t in Miami yet, but an his campaign has an ice cream truck here handing out “joecones” until 8pm. I’m told the flavor is “the taste of victory” and it tastes “cotton candy-like.” They are colored blue in honor of the Dem debate pic.twitter.com/qUumtiPB22

….They came to me asking for help, and I got Criminal Justice Reform passed, with help from both Republicans and Democrats. Many said that nobody but President Trump could have done this. All previous administrations failed. Please ask why THEY failed to the candidates!

Elizabeth Warren — Give Warren and her campaign credit. Unlike other candidates who have languished in the polls, Warren outworked her opponents—impressing the party’s “very liberal” white liberals in addition to Democrats of color at events like the She the People forum—to emerge as perhaps Biden’s top rival.

Warren has taken tens of thousands of selfies, called individual donors, released plans for nearly everything, and reminded Democrats of the wonky student who did most of the work whenever a group project got assigned. Most impressively, she successfully branded herself as the candidate with “a plan,” and is now not primarily defined as the “fake Native American” candidate, which is how even CNN’s Van Jones labeled her in the early stages of the campaign.

But as her cringeworthy interview with radio host Charlamagne tha God showed, the “Native American” controversy will not go away, and Democrats will have to decide if someone who likely lied about her race and ethnicity to benefit is the best candidate to take on Trump, who will eviscerate her as “Pocahontas” and her botched DNA test every day on the trail. Warren will qualify for the next round of debates and has earned to right to get an eventual showdown with Biden.

Cory Booker — Booker may have realized a bit too late that a campaign of “love” would not work that well when the party’s voters want someone to knock out Trump. Biden’s comments about segregationist senators gave his campaign the lifeline that it needed, but Booker often comes across as a candidate who has spent too much time at Stanford, Oxford, Yale, and Wall Street than in the housing projects.
Booker is not guaranteed to qualify for the next round of debates. Perhaps his good buddy from Stanford, Rachel Maddow, will throw him some more lifelines tonight.

Julián Castro — Castro has led the way on many issues (immigration, housing, restricting “qualified immunity,” etc.) impacting people of color. For some reason, his campaign never branded him as the candidate who has the best plans for Democrats of color. Castro, like Booker, also comes across as too polite. Must be something in the Palo Alto water. Castro is not guaranteed to qualify for the next round of debates.

I have proposed a People First Immigration platform to overhaul the way we treat immigrants in this country—and won’t wait to put it forward in Congress. In the meantime, on day one of my administration I will direct my Attorney General to end Trump's zero-tolerance policy.

Beto O’Rourke — Democrats across the country hated Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) so much that they, along with Cruz’s underwhelming re-election campaign, made a vacuous congressman who never really stood for anything into a temporary national star. Some in Cruz’s campaign who have no clue about the electorate on the left, perhaps to try to make their close victory over O’Rourke look a bit better, talked up how formidable O’Rourke would be. Those assessments were downright silly then and look ridiculous now. O’Rourke will likely qualify for the next round of debates but his star has faded considerably.

Tim Ryan — Ryan is trying to be the centrist candidate who speaks about working-class issues. But why would Democrats, unless they want a centrist who also does yoga, vote for a watered-down version of Biden when they can vote for Biden? Ryan is not guaranteed to qualify for the next round of debates.Amy Klobuchar — The first thing most voters learned about Klobuchar was that she was a nasty boss and had an aide clean her comb after she ate her salad with it. She often tries to interject her speeches with humor but she has come across as a bit insecure in this election cycle in a party that may be too far to the left for her. Klobuchar is not guaranteed to qualify for the next round of debates and faces the same problem with centrist Democrats that Ryan does.

Jay Inslee — Inslee is trying to be the climate change candidate but hasn’t registered even among Democrats who tell pollsters that climate change is their top issue. He is unlikely to qualify for the next round of debates.

Tulsi Gabbard — Foreign policy issues could give Gabbard a chance to appeal to the anti-war left, but she is unlikely to qualify for the next round of debates and may soon have to worry about getting re-elected to the House. It did not help her in the least when Howard Dean said she was the only candidate running who is not qualified to be president.

John Delaney —Delaney was the first candidate to announce his candidacy and ran the first television ads in Iowa. He has crisscrossed the Hawkeye state but still only registers at 1%. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) recently told him to “sashay” away after he opposed Medicare for All at California’s Democratic Convention.Delaney likely will not qualify for the next round of debates.

Bill de Blasio — The candidate with the highest unfavorable ratings has nothing to lose. He could try to outflank Warren from her left. De Blasio is not guaranteed to qualify for the next round of debates, and Messrs. Biden and Buttigieg are lucky that he will not be to them what Al Sharpton was to Howard Dean in the 2004 election cycle.